Multi-Prong Gig

Part of Fishing

A gig with split prongs and carved barbs is the most effective hand-spearing tool you can build from a single piece of wood.

What Makes a Gig Different

A gig is specifically a multi-pronged spearing tool designed for downward thrusts into shallow water. Unlike a thrown spear, a gig stays in your hands. The prongs are spread wider than a standard multi-prong spear, and the barbs are more aggressive because you are applying continuous downward pressure rather than relying on momentum.

The ideal gig has 3-5 prongs spread across 10-15 cm, each with backward-angled barbs that lock into flesh the moment a fish tries to thrash free.

Selecting and Preparing the Shaft

Choose a hardwood sapling 2-3 meters long with a diameter of 4-5 cm at the working end. You need extra thickness because each split removes structural wood.

Critical: the last 25-30 cm of the shaft must be free of knots, side branches, or grain irregularities. Any defect in this zone will cause the split to veer off-center, producing uneven prongs.

Strip bark from the entire shaft. Shave down any bumps. Let the shaft dry for 24-48 hours if possible — partially dried wood splits more predictably than fully green wood.

Splitting the Prongs

Three-Prong Pattern

This is the most reliable configuration. Two splits at 60-degree angles from each other, producing three roughly equal prongs.

1. Score the end grain: use a knife tip or sharp flake to mark where each split will go on the circular end of the shaft
2. Start the first split: place your blade on the score line and tap with a baton (a short heavy stick). Drive the split exactly 20-25 cm deep
3. Insert a wedge: push a thin stick or bone sliver into the split near the base to keep it open while you work
4. Start the second split: position it 60 degrees from the first. Same depth
5. Insert the spreader: a carved wooden plug 3-4 cm long, tapered at both ends, forced into the center where all splits meet. This sets the final spread angle

Four-Prong Pattern

Two perpendicular splits, each 20-25 cm deep. Insert a cross-shaped spreader carved from a single piece of wood — two notched sticks interlocked at their centers.

Five-Prong Pattern

Only attempt this with shafts 5 cm or thicker. Use a star pattern: two splits plus a third at 36 degrees from one of them. The center prong stays as-is while the outer four spread outward.

Split Control

If a split starts running crooked, stop immediately. Bend the thicker side gently away from the split to steer it back. Forcing a crooked split will ruin the prong.

Binding Below the Split

This is the most critical step. Without proper binding, the split will continue down the shaft under use and the gig will fall apart.

1. Position: wrap starts 2-3 cm below where the split ends
2. Material: wet rawhide is ideal (shrinks 10-15% as it dries). Alternatives: wet sinew, soaked bark strips (elm or basswood), or twisted plant fiber cordage
3. Technique: wrap tightly in a single layer, overlapping each turn by half the width of the wrapping material. Cover at least 4-5 cm of shaft
4. Finish: tuck the end under the last two wraps and pull tight. For rawhide or sinew, let it dry completely before use

Test the binding by gripping the shaft below the wrap and pushing each prong outward with moderate force. If any movement occurs at the base, add more wraps.

Carving the Barbs

Barbs transform a gig from a poking stick into a fish-catching tool. Without barbs, fish slide off the prongs as soon as pressure releases.

Barb Geometry

Each prong gets one or two barbs on opposite sides, positioned 3-5 cm from the tip.

Dimensions:

• Barb length: 8-12 mm (projecting backward from the prong)
• Barb depth into prong: no more than one-third of the prong’s diameter
• Angle: 25-35 degrees from the prong axis (too steep and they break; too shallow and they don’t catch)

Carving Method

1. Mark the barb location: 3-5 cm from the prong tip
2. Cut a stop notch: make a shallow perpendicular cut into the prong at the barb’s base position
3. Carve toward the stop: starting 8-12 mm above (toward the tip), angle your blade down into the prong toward the stop notch. Remove a thin wedge of wood
4. Clean the barb: the remaining raised lip of wood is your barb. Thin it slightly if it is too thick, but do not make it paper-thin or it will snap
5. Fire-harden: hold each barb near hot coals for 1-2 minutes, rotating. This dramatically increases barb strength

Two-Barb Prongs

For maximum holding power, carve a second barb on the opposite side of the prong, staggered 1-2 cm above or below the first. This creates a double catch — the fish cannot twist free in either rotation direction.

Shaping and Finishing the Prongs

After barbs are carved:

1. Taper each prong to a sharp point over the last 5-8 cm
2. Fire-harden all tips (light brown, not charred)
3. Smooth the inner faces of each prong — rough surfaces create drag and slow penetration
4. Check alignment: sight down the shaft. All prong tips should be roughly in the same plane, spread evenly

Prong Count	Spread Width	Best For
3 prongs	10-12 cm	General purpose, most fish sizes
4 prongs	12-15 cm	Flatfish, slow bottom feeders
5 prongs	15-18 cm	Schools of small fish, frogs

Using the Gig

Technique matters as much as construction.

• Grip: dominant hand at the balance point (usually one-third from the butt end), guide hand forward
• Stance: lean forward over the water, gig tip 15-30 cm above the surface, angled roughly 45 degrees
• Strike: a fast downward thrust, not a throw. Drive straight through the target. The moment you feel contact, push down harder — this seats the barbs
• Recovery: do not yank the gig up immediately. Pin the fish against the bottom, slide your guide hand down the shaft, and lift with the fish trapped between prongs and substrate

Prong Breakage

Never use a gig to pry rocks or lever against hard surfaces. The prongs are strong in compression (thrusting) but weak in bending. If a prong snags on a rock, push the gig deeper to free it rather than levering sideways.

Maintenance

• Rinse after every use
• Re-sharpen prong tips by scraping with a rough stone
• Check barbs for cracks — a cracked barb should be re-carved immediately
• Re-apply pine resin to bindings weekly if the gig is used daily
• Replace the spreader if prongs begin to close together

Key Takeaways

• Split depth of 20-25 cm with proper binding creates durable, evenly-spread prongs
• Barbs angled at 25-35 degrees and cut no deeper than one-third of prong diameter maximize holding without weakening the prong
• Wet rawhide or sinew binding shrinks tight as it dries, preventing split propagation
• Three prongs is the most reliable configuration for general fishing
• Strike downward and pin against the bottom — never yank upward on contact